Study: 340B Contract Pharmacy Meds Reaching Vulnerable Patients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2014
Contact: Randy Barrett
(202) 536-2285
randy.barrett@340bhealth.org
Study: 340B Contract Pharmacy Meds Reaching Vulnerable Patients
Research Dispels Myths about Contract Pharmacy Growth
Washington, DC – A new study published in Health Affairs suggests pharmacies that contract with hospitals and other providers in the 340B drug discount program “disproportionally dispense” medicines to vulnerable patients.
The study, by researchers at the University of Chicago and Walgreens, finds that less than 0.5 percent of the prescriptions dispensed by Walgreens in 2012 were for medicines that providers bought through 340B. In the contract pharmacy model, safety-net providers buy drugs for eligible patients at a discount and dispense them via arrangements with retail pharmacies.
The study shows that sales of anti-viral drugs through the program were 10 times higher than average and nearly 80 percent of specialty medications were anti-retrovirals used by HIV/AIDS patients. Most of the other prescriptions dispensed at Walgreens through the 340B program were for common chronic conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma and depression, the study finds. “Our results suggest that 340B contract pharmacies dispense medications used to treat Americans’ chronic disease burden and disproportionally dispense medications used by key vulnerable populations targeted by the program,” said the authors.
“This important research shows that the contract pharmacy program works to help vulnerable populations obtain medications,” said Ted Slafsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of 340B Health. “Safety-net providers serve a large majority of HIV/AIDS patients as well as those who suffer from the more common ailments of diabetes and heart disease.”
The finding that 340B drug sales represented less than half of 1 percent of Walgreen’s retail dispensing “is an important reality check for critics who contend the program has grown too big,” said Slafsky.
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340B Health is an association of more than 1,000 hospitals. We are the leading advocate and resource for those providers who serve their communities through participation in the 340B drug pricing program. For more information about 340B Health and the 340B program, visit www.340bhealth.org.
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